Current Trends and Future Directions in Antimicrobial Peptide Research
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 70
Special Issue Editor
Interests: analytical chemistry; bioactive compounds; sample preparation; LC-MS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue dedicated to the rapidly evolving field of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which serve as key components of the innate immune defense systems across a wide range of organisms. Due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and ability to target multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, AMPs are emerging as promising candidates for next-generation antimicrobial therapeutics. In light of the global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), there is an urgent need to intensify research efforts aimed at unlocking the full therapeutic potential of AMPs. By integrating diverse research approaches and innovative findings, this Special Issue aims to offer a comprehensive and forward-looking overview of the current state of AMP research and its future prospects. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Design and synthesis of novel AMPs;
- Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies;
- Mechanistic insights into AMP interactions with microbial targets;
- AMPs against MDR pathogens;
- Peptidomimetics and synthetic analogs;
- Immunomodulatory and host-defense roles of AMPs;
- Synergistic effects of AMPs with conventional antibiotics;
- AMP delivery systems and formulation strategies;
- Bioinformatics and computational approaches in AMP discovery.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Sara Elsa Aita
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
- host defense
- structure-function
- antimicrobial agents
- biomedical applications
- antibiotic alternatives
- antibiotic resistance
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